Organ Donation Day; Important Organs That You Can Donate

Organ Donation Day is observed on 13th of August every year. It was started to create awareness regarding the need of donating organs.

Lakhs of people are dying every year because of organ failure. It is important to donate organs in order to save their lives.

Organ donation is a subject which is not often discussed. Hence people have a lot of misconception about it.

The most common thing that people are unaware of is regarding what organs can be donated and transplanted.

Generally organs which have the ability to heal and repair themselves can be donated, so that the health of the donor is not affected.

With today's advancement in medical science, the process of organ donation is very safe and will not affect the quality of the donor's life.

Here is a list of organs that can be donated safely:

1) Heart

A heart donor has to be dead in order to donate the heart. The receiver can be a patient suffering from a heart failure or a person born with a defective heart. Once the donor is declared dead, the transplantation has to be quick.

2) Kidneys

A kidney donor may be living or non living. It will be received by a patient with kidney failure. A kidney from a living donor will make them get rid of dialysis for the rest of their lives. As for the donor, the remaining kidney will enlarge in size and work for the missing kidney as well.

3) Lungs

The donor can be living or deceased to donate lungs though the living donor can donate only one lung. This may be helpful in case of the receiver requiring only one lung. In some patients with lung diseases, it is imperative to replace both the lungs, which can only be donated by a deceased donor. Lung transplant increases life expectancy in people with end-stage lung disease.

4) Pancreas

A living donor can donate a part of his pancreas. A pancreas transplant is usually performed on a person who has type-1 diabetes and end-stage kidney failure. In such a case, a kidney and pancreas both are transplanted. When a new pancreas is transplanted the old one isn't usually removed. The patient can live without a pancreas transplant but will have to live off insulin and enzyme supplements for the rest of his life.

5) Liver

A living donor can donate a part of his liver to people with liver failure. The donor's liver will regenerate and will not affect the lifestyle. A liver transplant will provide a new lease of life to people with a liver failure or liver cancer.

6) Intestines

Patients with life-threatening intestinal disease or short gut syndrome may require intestines transplantation. It is usually the small intestine which requires transplant. It is the rarest type of organ transplant performed. A living donor can donate a part of the intestines.

7) Cornea

It is the curved transparent tissue which covers our iris and pupils. It allows the light to pass through it and enables us to see. Almost everyone can be eligible to donate cornea if not threatened with a highly communicable disease. It restores eye sight to those suffering from corneal blindness. Only a deceased person can donate his cornea and the transplant has to take place within 24 hours.

8) Skin

Skin transplants are usually referred to as skin grafts and are used to treat burns and skin loss due to infection. Only deceased patients can donate skin. Anyone can donate his skin regardless of age or colour, but not people who were suffering from any communicable disease or AIDS. Skin should be donated within 6 hours after the death and only the top 1/6th part of the skin is harvested.

9) Heart Valves

A patient with calcified valves will need a valve transplant. It is considered a life-saving transplant and will restore the normal functions of the heart. A donor of heart valves has to be deceased.